Ford Territory 2004 Problems

The first thing to ascertain is what the fluid is. Is it coolant, fuel, oil or even brake fluid? All these fluids have different ways of leaking, so make sure you know what you’re dealing with. Also, don’t rely on the location of the fluid on the ground as a means of diagnosing the cause. Leaks can start in one place but appear elsewhere as they work their way along wiring, pipes, chassis rails and plenty more before they actually make it to the ground.

Meantime, if the leak is coolant and is actually coming from the back of the engine, there are a few likely culprits. There are heater hoses that run in this area and have been known to leak, as well as a welch plug that can corrode and cause a leak in this area. Other known coolant leak-points in the Territory include the radiator and the O-ring seal at the back of the water pump. If you’re really unlucky, the leak could also be from a head gasket. Have the car checked out by a mechanic, because coolant leaks only ever really get bigger over time, never smaller.

Check the fuses and the connections to the fuse box.

Make sure the coolant is topped up, check for coolant leaks, check the operation of the thermostat, and check the operation of the thermo fan.

I would think your chances are good, if you can show that you bought it believing it to be RWD. From what you have told us the car was incorrectly described in the advertisement and in the paperwork, so you should be entitled to get you money back on the basis that the dealer misrepresented the car to you. Go and talk to him and try to work out a satisfactory resolution.

Replace the ignition lock.

It’s not a recall situation, recalls are mostly about safety and a broken hinge does not constitute a safety concern. It is a 10-year-old car and sometimes things fail on old cars. I would take the dealer’s advice and have a panel shop quote on repairing it.

The main one is worn front suspension ball joints. You would expect that it has had the ball joints replaced once in that time, but you can expect to have to do them regularly, at intervals of between 40,000 and 80,000 km for the rest of the car’s life. Another to look for is worn diff mounting bushes. Early Territorys like yours also had issues with rust in the engine bay, around the fuel filler, and around the rear windows, which was due to poor painting.

It's not possible to diagnose the problem from afar, you need to find a mechanic you trust and have him check for the cause. I wouldn't rush into changing the engine mounts in the hope it fixes it.